Reviews

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

cloudsoflemons's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

guaranatu's review against another edition

hopeful sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

howardgo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Originally published at myreadinglife.com.

About thirty years ago, I read The Three Musketeers and loved it. Recently, my book club decided to read The Count of Monte Cristo, so I was very much looking forward to reading it. It is the story of Edmonde Dantes. He has everything going for him until it all falls apart in one night. In prison for a crime he has not committed, he gives up on life until a fellow prisoner tunnels into his cell. The two form a friendship that motivates him to survive and find a way out of the prison to rejoin those he loves and punish those who put him there.

This book was written as a serial in the newspaper from 1844 to 1846. It shows. There is a lot of story within a story. It feels a bit like a very entertaining soap opera. However, I was not as put off by it as I was by the interminable descriptions of Dickens or the tedious histrionics of Hugo. Edmonde (the titular Count of Monte Cristo) is a very likeable person for the first half of the book. I found him and his behavior much less likeable as the story progressed.

In the end, this book was much too long. It is literally the length of three books! If not for wanting to find out how it ends and the fact that I was reading it for my book club, I am not sure I would have finished it. One thing is for sure. In the future, I have no plans to read classics originally written as serials. Even so, the story is interesting. I can definitely see why it held newspaper readers' attention for two years. But I can't understand why people still love it so much today.

My rating: 3/5

rrio22's review against another edition

1.0

This was a DNF for me. Had to give it a star at least, for the thrill of treasure hunting, and for the drama of the prison escape scenes and the relationship between Dantes and Abbe Faria. I hated how much Dantes’s character changed for the worse after finding the treasure. After Dantes escaped and had all that money burning a hole in his pocket, he bought slaves and that really unsettled me… especially the part where he said he had “always desired to have a mute in his service.” Excuse me???

filippasundgren's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Kändes aldrig tråkigt att läsa trots storleken och de 600 sidorna som spenderas med den franska aristokratin. Vackert slut till en så dyster berättelse, intressanta karaktärer. 
Översättaren har gjort ett bra jobb som resulterar i att boken går snabbt och lätt att läsa för en modern läsare utan att förlora de typiska dragen från 1800-talets litteratur.
Hade varit 5⭐️ om det inte var fransmän och författaren kände för att ‘break the fourth wall’ alldeles för ofta.

kord's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

lsvicente537's review against another edition

4.0

Started reading in January, and I finally finished it! I really liked it, but I will admit that it is a bit of work to read something like this. Would recommend to people who like French culture/history and a challenge!

porphyrous's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

monikakonrad's review against another edition

5.0

Edmond Dantès >>>>>

It took me more than three years to finish this book because I NEVER wanted it to end.

Dumas, by creating Edmond Dantès, portrayed the perfect INTJ character, intimidating, with his god complex, his superiority to everyone, who perfectly portrays the determination but also the duality of a human being, and who can only be destroyed by HIS OWN SELF. I can not imagine a character that even comes close to the perfect complexity of Monte Cristo.

runia's review against another edition

5.0

Sono tanto felice, perché ho letto un libro che veramente merita le 5 stelle, un libro che mi fa dire "it was amazing", e ancora come valutazione non è abbastanza.
Il Conte di Montecristo mi è stato consigliato da una persona che mi è cara e di cui conosco il buon gusto, perciò l'ho iniziato con aspettative positive. Le ha superate ampiamente.
È stato un lungo viaggio ma meritatissimo, ha rinnovato il mio amore per la lettura (cosa che non accadeva da un po') e mi ha ricordato l'importanza delle grandi storie. Quella del Conte di Montecristo è una grande storia.